Systems and methods for radio access interfaces

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for radio access interfaces in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiments, a vehicle telematics device includes a processor, a communications device, and a memory, wherein the vehicle telematics device communicates with a mobile communications device using the communications device, wherein the mobile communications device is in communication with a remote server system via a mobile network connection, and wherein the vehicle telematics device provides data to the mobile communications device, where the data is to be transmitted to the remote server system, provides command data to the mobile communications device, where the command data instructs the mobile communication device to transmit the data to the remote server system using at least one communication protocol, and causes the mobile communications device to transmit the data to the remote server system using the at least one communication protocol based on the command data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The current application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/430,400, filed Feb. 10, 2017, entitled “Systems and Methodsfor Radio Access Interfaces” to Hergesheimer et al., which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/407,256, filedOct. 12, 2016, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to communicating data and morespecifically to communicating data via wireless networks.

BACKGROUND

Telematics is the integrated use of telecommunications and informatics.Telematics units are installed in vehicles to provide a variety oftelematics functionality in the vehicle. This functionality includes,but is not limited to, emergency warning systems, navigationfunctionality, safety warnings, and automated driving assistance.Telematics units are also capable of recording data related to theoperation of the vehicle and providing that information for analysis,whether in real-time or during a time when the vehicle is beingserviced. This information can be used in a variety of applications,such as fleet tracking, shipment tracking, insurance calculations, andin vehicle management and service.

A Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based global navigationsatellite system that utilizes a network of geo-synchronous satellitesthat can be utilized by a GPS receiver to determine its location. Manytelematics systems incorporate a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver that can be used to obtain the location of a vehicle at acertain measured time. Using the signals received by the GPS receiver,the heading information of the vehicle can be determined. A GPS receivercan determine velocity information in a variety of ways including, butnot limited to, measuring the Doppler shift of the received signals andby comparing the location of a vehicle at a plurality of measured times.The acceleration of the vehicle can be determined as the change in speeddivided by the time between the measurements. A GPS receiver's abilityto determine acceleration can be limited due to the dependence of themeasurement upon factors such as, but not limited to, reception andsatellite availability. In addition to location information, a GPSreceiver can also be configured to provide time data. However,measurements determined via a GPS receiver can contain errors thataffect the accuracy of the measured information. In particular, GPSsignals are vulnerable to signal delays, inconsistencies of atmosphericconditions that affect the speed of the GPS signals as they pass throughthe Earth's atmosphere, and multipath distortions. Additionally, otherfactors not listed above can influence GPS signals and result inmeasurement errors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Systems and methods for radio access interfaces in accordance withembodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiments, avehicle telematics device includes a processor, a communications device,and a memory connected to the processor, wherein the vehicle telematicsdevice communicates with a mobile communications device using thecommunications device, wherein the mobile communications device is incommunication with a remote server system via a mobile networkconnection, and wherein the vehicle telematics device provides data tothe mobile communications device, where the data is to be transmitted tothe remote server system, provides command data to the mobilecommunications device, where the command data instructs the mobilecommunication device to transmit the data to the remote server systemusing at least one communication protocol, and causes the mobilecommunications device to transmit the data to the remote server systemusing the at least one communication protocol based on the command data.

In an additional embodiment of the invention, the mobile communicationsdevice includes a smart phone.

In another embodiment of the invention, the smart phone includes anapplication executing within an operating system installed on the smartphone, the application provides access to a file system provided by theoperating system, and the application provides access to cellular dataservices via the operating system.

In yet another additional embodiment of the invention, the mobilecommunications device is integrated into a vehicle.

In still another additional embodiment of the invention, the mobilecommunications device is accessible via a vehicle data bus installed inthe vehicle, the vehicle telematics device is connected to a diagnosticport within the vehicle, where the diagnostic port provides access tothe vehicle data bus, and the vehicle telematics device communicateswith the mobile communications device using the vehicle data bus.

In yet still another additional embodiment of the invention, thecommunications device includes a Bluetooth radio.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the communications deviceincludes a wired connection.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the communications deviceincludes an 802.11 wireless network device.

In yet still another embodiment of the invention, the command datafurther includes metadata describing when the mobile communicationsdevice is to transmit the data to the remote server system.

In yet another additional embodiment of the invention, the mobilecommunications device determines a time to transmit the data to theremote server system independent of the command data.

Still another embodiment of the invention includes a method fortransmitting data using a radio access interface, including providingdata to a mobile communications device using a vehicle telematicsdevice, wherein the vehicle telematics device includes a processor, acommunications device, and a memory connected to the processor, thevehicle telematics device communicates with the mobile communicationsdevice using the communications device, the data is to be transmitted toa remote server system, and the mobile communications device is incommunication with a remote server system via a mobile networkconnection, providing command data to the mobile communications deviceusing the vehicle telematics device, where the command data instructsthe mobile communication device to transmit the data to the remoteserver system using at least one communication protocol, andtransmitting the data to the remote server system using the mobilecommunications device using the at least one communication protocolbased on the command data.

In yet another additional embodiment of the invention, the mobilecommunications device includes a smart phone.

In still another additional embodiment of the invention, the smart phoneincludes an application executing within an operating system installedon the smart phone, the application provides access to a file systemprovided by the operating system, and the application provides access tocellular data services via the operating system.

In yet still another additional embodiment of the invention, the mobilecommunications device is integrated into a vehicle.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the mobile communicationsdevice is accessible via a vehicle data bus installed in the vehicle,the vehicle telematics device is connected to a diagnostic port withinthe vehicle, where the diagnostic port provides access to the vehicledata bus, and the vehicle telematics device communicates with the mobilecommunications device using the vehicle data bus.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the communications deviceincludes a Bluetooth radio.

In yet still another embodiment of the invention, the communicationsdevice includes a wired connection.

In yet another additional embodiment of the invention, thecommunications device includes an 802.11 wireless network device.

In still another additional embodiment of the invention, the commanddata further includes metadata describing when the mobile communicationsdevice is to transmit the data to the remote server system.

In yet still another additional embodiment of the invention, the mobilecommunications device determines a time to transmit the data to theremote server system independent of the command data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual illustration of a vehicle telematics system inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a conceptual illustration of a vehicle telematics device inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a conceptual illustration of a mobile communications devicein accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for receiving data inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process for transmitting data inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 5A-E are sequence diagrams illustrating the communication of datain accordance with embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to the drawings, systems and methods for radio accessinterfaces in accordance with embodiments of the invention aredisclosed. Many vehicle are equipped with a telematics unit. Thesetelematics units can obtain and/or measure a variety of data regardingthe conditions and/or location of the vehicle along with receiving andtransmitting data to remote server systems. In order to facilitate thesecommunications, the telematics units can include a radio transceiver,such as a cellular modem, which can be utilized to communicate with theremote server systems. However, these radio transceivers require a dataplan or other cellular service specifically dedicated to the telematicsunit. Additionally, many telematics units are only compatible with oneservice provider (e.g. cellular service provider), thereby requiringdifferent versions of the telematics unit for different geographicregions and limiting the ability of a particular telematics unit to beutilized in all locations in which a particular vehicle may travel.

A variety of devices can utilize tethering techniques to share a dataconnection, allowing the sharing of a network connection with otherdevices. A variety of mobile communication devices are capable ofproviding tethering services to other devices by providing a networkaddress translation (NAT) service on the mobile communication device'snetwork connection. In many embodiments, NAT is a technique for mappingthe Internet Protocol (IP) address space into another by modifyingnetwork address information in the IP packet headers while they are intransit across a traffic routing device, such as the mobilecommunications device providing the tethering service. In this way,tethering services provide a single device addressable on a network.However, in the event that a network connection is not available, eventemporarily, tethering techniques cannot be utilized effectively.Additionally, movement of devices through a number of geographic regionscan affect the ability of NAT services to properly identify and providedata to tethered devices.

Vehicle telematics devices in accordance with embodiments of theinvention can utilize a variety of radio access interfaces to addressthese limitations of telematics units. Radio access interfaces allow avehicle telematics device to gain access to the services (such as IP andSMS services) of a mobile communications device that is in communicationwith the vehicle telematics device. In this way, the service planalready in place for the mobile communications device can be utilized bythe vehicle telematics device to communicate with remote server systems.In several embodiments, the radio access interface is intended for useover a Bluetooth connection between the vehicle telematics device andthe mobile communications device. However, any wired or wirelessconnection, such as 802.11 wireless network connections and serialconnections, can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of theinvention. In a number of embodiments, the mobile communications deviceis a smart phone is running a specialized application that, through theoperating system of the smart phone, has access to the phone's filesystem as well as access to the IP/User Datagram Protocol (UDP),IP/Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and Short Messaging Service(SMS) data services over the cellular network. However, it should benoted that any mobile communications device, including communicationsdevices installed in a vehicle, potentially accessible from within thevehicle via a vehicle data bus, can be utilized to provide communicationservices via radio access interfaces for vehicle telematics devices asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention.

In order to facilitate the communication of data using the radio accessinterfaces, command data can be utilized to direct how and/or when themobile communications device transmits data to/from the vehicletelematics device and remote server systems. In this way, the radioaccess interfaces improve the functioning of the vehicle telematicsdevices and the mobile communication devices by allowing the vehicletelematics device to communicate data even when a network connection isunavailable and to optimize the transmission of data across the network.For example, a vehicle telematics device can provide data to the mobilecommunications device along with the command to send the data. When themobile communications device is connected to a network, it can transmitthe data immediately, but when the network is not available it can waitto transmit the data until a network connection is established.Similarly, the mobile communications device can wait (eitherself-determined or as instructed in the command data) to transmit thedata, such as on off-peak hours when network traffic is lower thannormal. In this way, radio access interfaces improve on existingtethering techniques by allowing data to be communicated from both thevehicle telematics devices and the mobile communications devices withoutreliance on NAT. In a variety of embodiments, vehicle telematics deviceshave a relatively small amount of internal storage, while mobilecommunications devices often have orders of magnitude more storagecapabilities. When a vehicle telematics device is unable to transmitdata, situations can arise where the vehicle telematics device fills itsinternal storage and has either to discard previously stored data orcease creating new data until it is able to transmit the previouslystored data. However, radio access interfaces allow the vehicletelematics devices to overcome this limitation by allowing the vehicletelematics device to provide the recorded data and the appropriatecommand data to the mobile communications device. In this way, thevehicle telematics device can operate normally even when a networkconnection is unavailable. It should be noted that similar processes andimprovements can be observed when providing data to a vehicle telematicsdevice via a mobile communications device via radio access interfaces asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention.

In a variety of embodiments, the operational state of a vehicle isutilized to determine if a vehicle telematics device should transmitand/or receive data. In a number of embodiments, vehicle ignition state(i.e. the operational status of the vehicle) is ascertained bymonitoring the vehicle for signs indicative of the vehicle ignitionstate without directly connecting to the vehicle ignition line.Information indicative of vehicle ignition state (i.e. vehicle statusdata) can be ascertained by observing characteristics of the vehicleincluding but not limited to the power supplied by the vehicle, vehiclevibration, communications on an OBD II or other vehicle data bus line,and/or vehicle position information. In many embodiments, multipledifferent types of information are combined to ascertain the vehicleignition state. Systems and methods for using an asset tracking deviceadded to the vehicle after the manufacture of the vehicle without adirect connection to the vehicle ignition line that can be utilized todetermine ignition state information in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,489,271, titled “Systemsand Methods for Virtual Ignition Detection” and issued Jul. 16, 2013,the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

Systems and methods for radio access interfaces in accordance withembodiments of the invention are described in more detail herein.

Vehicle Telematics Systems

Vehicle telematics systems in accordance with embodiments of theinvention can transmit a variety of data between a remote server systemand a vehicle telematics device using a mobile communications device. Aconceptual diagram of a vehicle telematics system in accordance with anembodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle telematicssystem 100 includes a vehicle telematics device 110 that can communicatewith a mobile communications device 116, a vehicle data bus 112, and/oran input/output (I/O) interface 114 as appropriate to the requirementsof specific applications of embodiments of the invention. In a varietyof embodiments, the mobile communications device 116 and/or the vehicletelematics device 110 communicates with the remote server system 130 viaa network 120. In a variety of embodiments, the network 120 is theInternet. In many embodiments, the network 120 is any wired or wirelessnetwork, such as a cellular network, between the vehicle telematicsdevice 110 and/or the mobile communications device and the remote serversystem 130. In a number of embodiments, the remote server system 130implemented using a single server system. In several embodiments, theremote server system 130 is implemented using multiple server systems.

In a variety of embodiments, the vehicle telematics device 110 isinstalled in a vehicle having a vehicle data bus 112. In severalembodiments, the vehicle telematics device 110 is connected to a vehiclediagnostic connector that provides access to the vehicle data bus 112.The vehicle telematics device 110 can obtain data from any of a varietyof vehicle devices connected to the vehicle data bus 112 utilizing anyof a variety of techniques as appropriate to the requirements ofspecific applications of embodiments of the invention. Vehicle devicescan include, but are not limited to, engine sensors, electronic controlunit (ECU) devices, alternator sensors, vibration sensors, voltagesensors, oxygen sensors, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers,ignition devices, weight sensors, wireless network devices, and/oracceleration determination devices. Systems and methods for connectingto a vehicle data bus that can be utilized in accordance withembodiments of the invention are described in SAE J1978, titled “OBD IIScan Tool,” first published by SAE International of Troy, Mich. on Mar.1, 1992 and last updated Apr. 30, 2002. Systems and methods forobtaining data from devices connected to a vehicle data bus aredescribed in SAE J1979, titled “E/E Diagnostic Test Modes,” firstpublished by SAE International on Dec. 1, 1991 and last updated Aug. 11,2014. The disclosures of SAE J1978 and SAE J1979 are hereby incorporatedby reference in their entirety. In a number of embodiments, the vehicletelematics device is connected directly, either wired or wirelessly, toone or more sensors within the vehicle and/or does not utilize thevehicle data bus 112.

The vehicle telematics device 110 can include any of a variety ofsensors and/or devices, including those described herein with respect tothe vehicle data bus and any described in more detail herein, to obtaindata regarding the status of the vehicle. The vehicle telematics device110 can also communicate with any of a variety of sensors and/or devicesusing the I/O interface 114. The I/O interface 114 can be anyconnection, including wired and wireless connections, as appropriate tothe requirements of specific applications of embodiments of theinvention. In several embodiments, the vehicle telematics device 110 iscapable of executing scripts to read data and/or perform particularprocesses. These scripts can be pre-loaded on the device and/or obtainedfrom the remote server system 130, vehicle data bus 112, and/or the I/Ointerface 114 as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention. The vehicle telematicsdevice 110 can be self-powered and/or connected into the electricalsystem of the vehicle in which the vehicle telematics device 110 isinstalled. In a variety of embodiments, the vehicle telematics device ispowered via the vehicle data bus 112 and/or the I/O interface 114. Inmany embodiments, the vehicle telematics device 110 utilizes a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receiver in order to determine the location,speed, and/or acceleration of the vehicle. In several embodiments, thevehicle telematics device 110 obtains location data from the mobilecommunications device 116. However, it should be noted that anylocation-determining techniques, such as cellular tower triangulation,wireless network geolocation techniques, and dead reckoning techniques,could be utilized as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention.

In a variety of embodiments, the vehicle telematics device 110, mobilecommunication device 116, and/or remote server system 130 provides auser interface allowing for visualizing and interacting with the datatransmitted and/or received between the systems. In several embodiments,the vehicle telematics device 110, mobile communications device 116,and/or remote server system 130 provides an interface, such as anapplication programming interface (API) or web service that providessome or all of the data to third-party systems for further processing.Access to the interface can be open and/or secured using any of avariety of techniques, such as by using client authorization keys, asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of theinvention.

Although a specific architecture of a vehicle telematics system inaccordance with embodiments of the invention are discussed herein andillustrated in FIG. 1, a variety of architectures, including sensors andother devices and techniques not specifically described herein, can beutilized in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Furthermore,the processes described herein can be performed using any combinationthe vehicle telematics device, mobile communications device, and/or theremote server systems as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention.

Vehicle Telematics Devices

Vehicle telematics devices in accordance with embodiments of theinvention can transmit and receive data via a mobile communicationsdevice. A conceptual illustration of a vehicle telematics device inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2A. Thevehicle telematics device 200 includes a processor 210 in communicationwith memory 230. The vehicle telematics device 200 can also include oneor more communication interfaces 220 capable of sending and receivingdata. In a number of embodiments, the communication interface 220 is incommunication with the processor 210, the memory 230, and/or the sensordevice(s) 240. In several embodiments, the memory 230 is any form ofstorage configured to store a variety of data, including, but notlimited to, a vehicle telematics application 232, sensor data 234, andtelematics data 236. In many embodiments, the vehicle telematicsapplication 232, sensor data 234, and/or telematics data 236 are storedusing an external server system and received by the vehicle telematicsdevice 200 using the communications interface 220. Sensor devices 240can include RPM sensors, voltage sensors, GPS receivers, noise sensors,vibration sensors, acceleration sensors, weight sensors, and any otherdevice capable of measuring data regarding a vehicle as appropriate tothe requirements of specific applications of embodiments of theinvention. Sensor devices 240 can be included within the vehicletelematics device 200 and/or located external to the vehicle telematicsdevice 200. The vehicle telematics 200 can communicate with externalsensor devices using the communications interface 220, such as via avehicle data bus, I/O interface (including serial interfaces), mobilecommunications device, and/or a network connection as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention.In a variety of embodiments, a vehicle telematics device is connected toa diagnostic connector (e.g. an OBD II port) in a vehicle.

Mobile communication devices in accordance with embodiments of theinvention can obtain data and dynamically configure the data fortransmission to a vehicle telematics device and/or a remote serversystem. A conceptual illustration of a mobile communication device inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2B. Themobile communication device 250 includes a processor 252 incommunication with memory 260. The mobile communication device 250 canalso include one or more remote communication interfaces 254 capable ofsending and receiving data over a long distance, such as with a remoteserver system located outside of the vehicle in which the vehicletelematics device is installed. The mobile communication device 250 canalso include one or more local communications interfaces 256 capable ofsending and receiving data over a short distance, such as with a vehicletelematics device installed in the vehicle in which the mobilecommunications device is located. In a number of embodiments, the remotecommunication interface 254 and/or local communications interface 256 isin communication with the processor 252 and/or the memory 260. Inseveral embodiments, the memory 260 is any form of storage configured tostore a variety of data, including, but not limited to, a communicationapplication 262, an operating system 264, incoming data 266, andoutgoing data 268. In many embodiments, the communication application262, an operating system 264, incoming data 266, and/or outgoing data268 are stored using an external server system and received by themobile communications device 250 using the remote communicationsinterface 254.

The processor 210 and processor 252 can be directed, by the vehicletelematics application 232 and the communication application 262respectively, to perform a variety of radio access interface processes.Radio access interface processes can include obtaining data andformatting the data for transmission between the vehicle telematicsdevice and the remote server system. A number of radio access interfaceprocesses that can be performed in accordance with embodiments of theinvention are described in more detail herein.

Although specific architectures for vehicle telematics devices andmobile communication devices in accordance with embodiments of theinvention are conceptually illustrated in FIGS. 2A-B, any of a varietyof architectures, including those that store data or applications ondisk or some other form of storage and are loaded into memory atruntime, can also be utilized. Additionally, any of the data utilized inthe system can be cached and transmitted once a network connection (suchas a wireless network connection via the communications interface)becomes available. In a variety of embodiments, a memory includescircuitry such as, but not limited to, memory cells constructed usingtransistors, that are configured to store instructions. Similarly, aprocessor can include logic gates formed from transistors (or any otherdevice) that dynamically perform actions based on the instructionsstored in the memory. In several embodiments, the instructions areembodied in a configuration of logic gates within the processor toimplement and/or perform actions described by the instructions. In thisway, the systems and methods described herein can be performed utilizingboth general-purpose computing hardware and by single-purpose devices.

Transmitting and Receiving Data

Radio access interface processes in accordance with embodiments of theinvention include utilizing any of a variety of communication protocolsto transmit data to and from a vehicle telematics device via a mobilecommunications device. These protocols include UDP, TCP, file transferprotocols, SMS, serial data streams, and any other communicationsprotocol as appropriate to the requirements of specific applications ofembodiments of the invention. Vehicle telematics devices and/or mobilecommunications devices can control the data and/or transmissionprotocols utilized in the radio access interface processes utilizing avariety of command data. Examples of command data that can be utilizedin accordance with embodiments of the invention is described in moredetail with respect to FIGS. 5A-E. In a variety of embodiments, dataprovided to a mobile communications device to be transmitted to athird-party server system is known as outgoing data, while data providedto a mobile communications device to be transmitted to a vehicletelematics device is known as incoming data.

Radio access interfaces can be provided for UDP communications. In manyembodiments, UDP communications are utilized for domain services and forcommunicating with remote server systems utilizing one or more listeningsocket interfaces. The mobile communications device can set up a UDPlistening socket on the phone, either automatically or upon request fromthe vehicle telematics device, for single-direction or bi-directionaldata exchanges between the vehicle telematics device and the one or morelistening socket interfaces. Data received by the mobile communicationsdevice via the listening socket interface can be passed to the vehicletelematics device. In a variety of embodiments, this data includes theIP address and port of the originating source (i.e. remote server IPaddress and port). In several embodiments, the UDP datagrams generatedby the vehicle telematics device and transmitted to the mobilecommunications device include the IP address and port of the destinationfor the data (i.e. remote server IP address and port). Data can betransferred via UDP datagrams from the vehicle telematics device via themobile communications device by providing a UDP Data Notify messagefollowed by zero or more UDP Data Messages. In a number of embodiments,these messages will not be retransmitted and, if any of messages are notacknowledged within a timeout period (which can be fixed and/ordetermined dynamically), the transmission of the UDP data messages canbe aborted. In many embodiments, the UDP listening sockets will remainactive in the event that a particular transmission fails.

Radio access interfaces can also be provided for TCP communications. Ina number of embodiments, one or more TCP sockets are employed forcommunication with external server systems and/or for accessing GPSassist data. In a number of embodiments, GPS assist data can be utilizedto provide Assisted GPS (AGPS) services, such as improving the time tofix GPS satellites. The mobile communications device can initialize andtear down TCP socket connections, automatically and/or on request fromthe vehicle telematics device. In many embodiments, the vehicletelematics device provides the IP address and port for the remotedestination of the TCP connection, while the mobile communicationsdevice provides the status of the TCP connection and bi-directional dataexchanges between the vehicle telematics device and the TCP socketinterface(s). In a variety of embodiments, a vehicle telematics deviceinitializes communications via the TCP connection by providing a TCPData Notify Message to the mobile communications device. In a number ofembodiments, a TCP Data Notify Message can be used to transfer up to 253TCP data bytes. Data transmitted via the TCP connection can beretransmitted if not acknowledged within a timeout period, which can bepre-determined and/or determined dynamically. In many embodiments, thetimeout period has a minimum value of 10 seconds and/or a retry timeoutback-off sequence of 10, 20, 40, and 80 seconds. In a number ofembodiments, the mobile communications device can terminate the TCPconnection when data cannot be transmitted after proceeding through theretry sequence and/or on request from the vehicle telematics device.

In addition to transmitting data in real time, vehicle telematicsdevices often upload and download files from remote server systems. In avariety of embodiments, the vehicle telematics device provides downloadprotocol data to the mobile communications device that defines one ormore download protocols to utilize to provide and/or obtain file datafrom a remote server system. Any file protocol, such as the FileTransfer Protocol (FTP) or Hypertext Transfer Protocol GET method, asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention. The vehicle telematics device can also provide theaddress (such as IP address and/or port) of the remote server system andany other metadata utilized to transmit and/or receive the data, such asfile parameter data. For obtaining data from a remote server system, themobile communication device can proceed to download the data from theremote server system and store the data locally. In several embodiments,the mobile communications device provides a notification messageinforming the vehicle telematics device that a file has been downloaded.On request from the vehicle telematics device, the file can betransferred from the mobile communications device to the vehicletelematics device. In a number of embodiments, the mobile communicationsdevice will store the data until a request to transfer the data isreceived and/or will delete the data once a File Service Request messageis received. For transmitting data to a remote server system, thevehicle telematics device can provide the data to the mobilecommunications device that then stores the data locally. The data canthen be transmitted from the mobile communications device to the remoteserver system when a connection is available and/or when a scheduleddata transfer time is reached.

In many embodiments, a vehicle telematics device can send and receiveshort message service (SMS) messages. Radio access interface processesin accordance with embodiments of the invention can include sending andreceiving SMS messages using a mobile communications device. In a numberof embodiments, the SMS messages for the vehicle telematics device aretagged with metadata identifying that the vehicle telematics device isto receive the SMS messages and differentiate those messages from SMSmessages addressed to the mobile communications device. SMS messagesaddressed to and/or originating from the vehicle telematics device canbe stored on the mobile communications device until they can bedelivered to the vehicle telematics device and/or sent via a cellularnetwork. In several embodiments, the mobile communications device storesthe SMS message data until a confirmation is received from the vehicletelematics device.

Radio access interface processes in accordance with embodiments of theinvention can also include providing serial data services in order totransfer data between a vehicle telematics device and a mobilecommunications device. In several embodiments, the serial data servicesallow terminal applications executed on the mobile communications deviceto access data streams provided by the vehicle telematics device. Thesedata streams can include, but are not limited to, GPS National MarineElectronics Association (NMEA) data streams, debug data streams, Hayescommand data streams, and any other data stream as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention.Hayes command data streams can include, but are not limited to, ATcommands and commands to control the functioning of a modem such asthose defined in “Digital Cellular Telecommunications System (Phase 2+);AT Command Set for GSM Mobile Equipment (ME)” as published by theEuropean Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), headquartered inSophia Antipolis, France, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a process for receiving data using radio accessinterfaces in accordance with an embodiment is shown. The process 300can include obtaining (310) incoming data. If a vehicle telematicsdevice is connected (312), incoming data is formatted (314) and data istransmitted (316). In many embodiments, if a vehicle telematics deviceis not connected (312), the process 300 waits (318) for the vehicletelematics device to be connected and resumes once a vehicle telematicsdevice is connected.

Turning now to FIG. 4, a process for transmitting data using radioaccess interfaces in accordance with an embodiment of the invention isshown. The process 400 can include obtaining (410) outgoing data.Outgoing data is formatted (412) and, in several embodiments, theprocess 400 waits (414) for a scheduled transmission time (or location)and/or determines if a remote server is available (416). If the remoteserver system is not checked or is present (416), data is transmitted(418). If the remote server system is checked (416) and not available,the process 400 waits (420) for the remote server system to be availableand then transmits data (418). In several embodiments, the transmitteddata is further transformed before being re-transmitted to a remoteserver system.

Specific processes for transmitting and receiving data in accordancewith embodiments of the invention are described herein and shown withrespect to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4; however, any number of processes,including those that use alternative techniques for asynchronous and/orparallel transmission of data, can be utilized as appropriate to therequirements of a specific application in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention.

Command Data

As described herein, radio access interfaces processes can include usinga variety of command data to control the transmission of data between avehicle telematics device and a mobile communications device and/orbetween the mobile communications device and remote server systems. Inseveral embodiments, the command data is implemented using theHigh-Level Data Link Control protocol, although any protocol can beutilized as appropriate to the requirements of specific applications ofembodiments of the invention. This protocol provides the packet framing,addressing, and packet integrity checking required for the command datautilized in the radio access interface processes. In a variety ofembodiments, packets of command data have the following structure:

Start Flag Control Length Information FCS End Flagwhere each packet frame begins with the start flag byte and ends withthe end flag byte. The flag sequence can be used for the synchronizationof frames. In many embodiments, the start flag byte is 0xF9 and the endflag byte is 0xFA, although any value can be utilized as appropriate tothe requirements of specific applications of embodiments of theinvention.

In several embodiments, the Control byte contains a 3-bit Address field,the 4-bit Message Type field and a Command/Response (CR) bit as shownherein:

CR Address (3) Msg Type (4)where the Message Type field indicates the contents of the Informationfield, the Address field is used to designate the intended Service forthe packet, and the CR bit is set when the packet is issued as a requestand cleared when the packet is returned as a response.

In a number of embodiments, the following values are utilized for theMessage Type field: 0 is a General Message, 1 is an EchoRequest/Response, 2 is an Acknowledgement, 3 is a Service Request, 4 isa Data Notify, 5 is a Data Request, and 6 is Data. Further details foreach of these messages types are disclosed herein. In many embodiments,the following values are used for the Address field: 0 is the ManagementService, 1 is the UDP Service, 2 is the TCP Service, 3 is the FileTransfer Service, 4 is the SMS Service, and 5 and 6 are Serial StreamServices. However, it should be noted that any values can be utilizedfor the message type and/or address as appropriate to the requirementsof specific applications of embodiments of the invention.

In many embodiments, the Length byte specifies the length of theinformation field (in bytes). The Information field holds the payload ofthe message. The length of the Information field can be fixed orvariable as appropriate to the requirements of specific applications ofembodiments of the invention. In a variety of embodiments, the length ofthe Information field is limited to 255 bytes. The Frame Check Sequence(FCS) field can be utilized to provide error detection and/orcorrection. In several embodiments, the FCS field is calculated using acombination of the Control, Length, and/or Information fields. Any errordetection and/or correction processes, including a cyclic redundancycheck (CRC), forward error correction (FEC), and Hamming codes, can beutilized as appropriate to the requirements of specific applications ofembodiments of the invention.

Message Types and the Information Field

As described herein, the Message Type field in the Control byte can beutilized to identify the type of data being transmitted via the radioaccess interface. The Information field can contain multiple bytes ofdata and any ordering, including big endian and little endian, can beutilized to order the Information field as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention.

General Messages are general for all services and can be indicated byzero address in the Address field. One such General Message is a ServiceStatus Request message that can be used to query the mobilecommunications device for current service status for some or all of theservices offered by the mobile communications device. In severalembodiments, a Service Status Request message is indicated by a zerovalue in the Message Type field. Service Status Request messages areoriginated by the vehicle telematics device and the Information field isempty. A second General Message is a Service Status Response message. Ina number of embodiments, a Service Status Response message is indicatedby a zero value in the Message Type field. The Service Status Responsemessage is originated by the mobile communications device. In a varietyof embodiments, a Service Status Response has an Information field withthe following structure:

Byte Position Bit Encodings Description Size 0 Network Status: NetworkStatus: 1 byte bits 0, 1 0 = Disconnected 1 = Connected Serial Stream 1:Service Status: bits 2, 3 0 = Inactive Serial Stream 2: 1 = Initializingbits 4, 5 2 = Active 3 = Failed 1 UDP Service: Service Status: 1 bytebits 0, 1 0 = Inactive TCP Service: 1 = Initializing bits 2, 3 2 =Active File Transfer 3 = Failed Service: bits 4, 5 SMS Service: bits 6,7 2, 3 Received Signal Strength 2 bytes Indication (RSSI) 4 System ID 1byte 5-8 DNS Server Address 4 bytes

A third type of General Message is an Echo Request. An Echo Request canbe utilized to check the connectivity between the mobile communicationsdevice and the vehicle telematics device. In many embodiments, an EchoRequest message is indicated by a value of 1 in the Message Type field.Both devices can originate the Echo Request and the Information field isempty. A fourth type of General Message is an Echo Response. In avariety of embodiments, an Echo Response message is indicated by a valueof 1 in the Message Type field. The Echo Response is generated inresponse to a received Echo Request and can be originated from both themobile communications device and the vehicle telematics device. Inseveral embodiments, an Echo Request and/or an Echo Response has anempty Information field.

Although specific examples of General Messages are described herein, itshould be appreciated that other messages can be utilized as GeneralMessages in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Additionally,messages with structures other than those described herein, includingService Status Response messages with alternative structures and Echomessages having identification data, can be utilized as appropriate tothe requirements of specific applications of embodiments of theinvention.

Those messages that are not General Messages can be referred to asService Specific Messages. These messages are specific to one of theservices described herein and can be indicated by a non-zero address inthe Address field and/or a value of 2 in the Message Type field of theControl byte. In a variety of embodiments, the actual length of variablelength values described herein can be calculated based on the Lengthfield and the size of elements with known lengths.

A first type of Service Specific Message is an Acknowledgement (i.e.Ack) message; these messages can be sent by the vehicle telematicsdevice or the mobile communications device. Acknowledgement messages canbe used for UDP, TCP, File Transfer, SMS, and Serial Stream servicesprovided via radio access interface processes to acknowledge receipt ofparticular messages, such as (but not limited to) service request anddata notifications. In several embodiments, the Information field isempty for Ack messages sent in response to Service Requests, File Datamessages, and Serial Stream Data Notify messages. In a variety ofembodiments, the Information field for an Ack message to a UDP DataNotify or a UDP Data Message contains the next expected datagram byteoffset value. In many embodiments, the Information field for an Ackmessage to a TCP Data Notify Message contains the next expected bytesequence number. In a number of embodiments, the Information field foran Ack message to a SMS Data Notify contains the message serial numberfrom the Data Notify Message. Ack messages can have the followingstructures as appropriate to the requirements of specific applicationsof embodiments of the invention:

UDP Data Notify Ack Message and Data Ack Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0, 1 UDP Datagram Offset 2 bytesTCP Data Notify Ack Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0, 1 Byte Sequence Number 2 bytesSMS Data Notify Ack Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0, 1 Message Serial Number 1 byte

A second type of Service Specific Message is a Service Request message.In several embodiments, a Service Request message is indicated by avalue of 3 in the Message Type field. Service Request messages can besent by a vehicle telematics device to control the services (i.e. dataprotocols) that are provided by the mobile communications device via theradio access interface. Service Request messages can have the followingstructures as appropriate to the requirements of specific applicationsof embodiments of the invention:

UDP Service Request Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0 Action: 0 = Stop, 1 = Start 1 byte 1, 2Local Port 2 bytesTCP Service Request Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0 Action: 0 = Stop, 1 = Start 1 byte 1 .. . 4 Remote Address 4 bytes 5, 6 Remote Port 2 bytesFile Transfer Service Request Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0 1 byte bits 0 . . . 3 Action: 0 = Stop,1 = Start bits 4 . . . 7 Protocol: 0 = HTTP, (1-15) = Reserved 1-4Remote Address 4 bytes 5, 6 Remote Port 2 bytes 7-n HTTP Parameterstring used with the Variable GET method.SMS and Serial Stream Service Request Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0 Action: 0 = Stop, 1 = Start 1 byte

A third type of Service Specific Message is a Data Notify message. Inseveral embodiments, a Data Notify message is indicated by a value of 4in the Message Type field. Data Notify messages can be sent by thevehicle telematics device or the mobile communications device toindicate to the other device that there is data available. Data Notifymessages can have the following structures as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention:

UDP Data Notify Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0, 1 UDP Message Length 2 bytes 2 . . . 5Remote Address 4 bytes 6, 7 Remote Port 2 bytes 8-n UDP Message DataVariableTCP Data Notify Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0, 1 Byte Sequence Number 2 bytes 2 . . .n TCP Stream Data VariableFile Transfer Data Notify Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0-3 File Length 4 bytesSMS Data Notify Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0 Message Serial Number 1 byte 1-n PhoneNumber String Variable n-m Text Message String VariableSerial Stream Data Notify Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0-n Serial Stream Data Variable

A fourth type of Service Specific Message is a Data Request message. Inseveral embodiments, a Data Request message is indicated by a value of 5in the Message Type field. Data Request messages can be sent by avehicle telematics device to request data from the mobile communicationsdevice in conjunction with the File Transfer service. In manyembodiments, a Data Request message is not utilized in conjunction withthe UDP, TCP, SMS or Serial Stream services. Data Request messages canhave the following structures as appropriate to the requirements ofspecific applications of embodiments of the invention:

File Transfer Data Request Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0-3 File Data Offset 4 bytes 4 Max DataBytes to Send 1 byte

A fifth type of Service Specific Message is a Data message. In severalembodiments, a Data message is indicated by a value of 6 in the MessageType field. Data messages can be sent by the vehicle telematics deviceor the mobile communications device to transfer data requiring multiplepackets via the UDP service. Data messages can also be utilized by themobile communications device to transfer data via the File Transferservice. In a number of embodiments, a Data message is not utilized inconjunction with the TCP, SMS, or Serial Stream services. Data messagescan have the following structures as appropriate to the requirements ofspecific applications of embodiments of the invention:

UDP Data Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0, 1 UDP Datagram Offset 2 bytes 2-n UDPDatagram Data VariableFile Transfer Data Message Information Field:

Byte Position Description Size 0-3 File Data Offset 4 bytes 4-n FileData Variable

Although specific examples of Service Specific Messages are describedherein, it should be appreciated that other messages can be utilized asService Specific Messages in accordance with embodiments of theinvention. Additionally, messages with structures other than thosedescribed herein, including those messages that contain additional datafields and/or store specific fields in different byte positions, can beutilized as appropriate to the requirements of specific applications ofembodiments of the invention. Furthermore, any values, particularlythose variable length values within the Information field, can beterminated using any character, including null-terminated values, asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention.

Communication Data Flow

Radio access interfaces in accordance with embodiments of the inventioninclude passing a variety of control messages and/or data between avehicle telematics device and a mobile communications device. FIGS. 5A-Eare sequence diagrams conceptually illustrating the flow of data betweenthese devices in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

Radio access interface processes include providing a UDP service. Inseveral embodiments, the vehicle telematics device sends a UDP ServiceRequest as soon as communication is established with the mobilecommunications device. In a number of embodiments, the byte offset fieldfor each UDP datagram starts at zero and is updated to match thedatagram length specified in the last received Ack message. In manyembodiments, the vehicle telematics device manages a UDP transmit bufferas a datagram queue. The use of a datagram queue is advantageous as itavoids datagram collisions and allows the use of Ack messages to controlthe flow of data between the vehicle telematics device and the mobilecommunications device. However, any data structure can be utilized tomanage the datagram queue as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention. In a variety ofembodiments, if a timeout or other error condition is detected during atransfer of a UDP datagram using the radio access interface then the UDPdatagram is discarded.

Turning now to FIG. 5A, a sequence diagram showing the transfer of datavia a bi-directional UDP service in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention is shown. The sequence 500 includes steps 5A1-5A8. At step5A1, a Data Notify message is set from a mobile communications device toa vehicle telematics device with its CR bit set to 1 and an offset ofzero. At step 5A2, an Ack message is sent from the vehicle telematicsdevice to the mobile communications device with its CR bit set to 0 andits offset calculated as the length of the Data Notify message sent atstep 5A1. At step 5A3, a Data message is sent from the mobilecommunications device with an offset matching the calculated offset fromstep 5A2 and its CR bit set to 1. At step 5A4, an Ack message is sentfrom the vehicle telematics device to the mobile communications devicewith its CR bit set to 0 and its offset calculated as the length of theprevious offset plus the length of the Data message at step 5A3. At step5A5, a Data message is sent from the mobile communications device withan offset matching the calculated offset from step 5A4 and its CR bitset to 1. At step 5A6, an Ack message is sent from the vehicletelematics device with its CR bit set to 0 and its offset calculated asthe length of the previous offset plus the length of the Data message atstep 5A5. At step 5A7, a Data message is sent from the mobilecommunications device with an offset matching the calculated offset fromstep 5A6 and its CR bit set to 1. At step 5A8, an Ack message is sentfrom the vehicle telematics device with its CR bit set to 0 and itsoffset calculated as the length of the previous offset plus the lengthof the Data message at step 5A7. With the data transferred, the sequencecompletes.

Radio access interface processes also include providing a TCP service.In many embodiments, when the vehicle telematics device attempts toinvoke the TCP service, a TCP Service Request to the mobilecommunications device. In a variety of embodiments, the first TCP databyte transferred will have a byte sequence number of zero. TCPtransmissions are guaranteed with multiple retries. In severalembodiments, if the mobile communications device's retry sequence failsor an error condition occurs the mobile communications device canprovide a Service Status message indicating the error condition. In anumber of embodiments, if the vehicle telematics device detects an errorcondition or its retry sequence fails then the vehicle telematics devicewill close the TCP service and/or provide command data to the mobilecommunications device to close its TCP service.

Turning now to FIG. 5B, a sequence diagram conceptually illustrating abi-directional TCP service is shown. The sequence 510 includes steps5B1-5B8. At step 5B1, a Data Notify message is set from a mobilecommunications device to a vehicle telematics device with its CR bit setto 1 and a sequence number of zero. At step 5B2, an Ack message is sentfrom the vehicle telematics device to the mobile communications devicewith its CR bit set to 0 and its sequence calculated as the length ofthe Data Notify message sent at step 5B1. At step 5B3, a Data Notifymessage is sent from the mobile communications device with a sequencematching the sequence from step 5B2 and its CR bit set to 1. At step5B4, an Ack message is sent from the vehicle telematics device to themobile communications device with its CR bit set to 0 and its sequencecalculated as the previous sequence plus the length of the Data Notifymessage at step 5B3. At step 5B5, a Data Notify message is sent from themobile communications device with a sequence matching the sequence fromstep 5B4 and its CR bit set to 1. At step 5B6, an Ack message is sentfrom the vehicle telematics device with its CR bit set to 0 and itssequence calculated as the previous sequence plus the length of the DataNotify message at step 5B5. This process repeats until at step 5B7, aData Notify message is sent from the mobile communications device withthe last of the data to be transmitted via the TCP service and its CRbit set to 1. At step 5B8, an Ack message is sent from the vehicletelematics device with its CR bit set to 0 and its sequence calculatedas the previous sequence plus the length of the Data Notify message fromstep 5B7. With the data transferred, the sequence completes.

Radio access interfaces further include providing a File Transferservice. In several embodiments, when the vehicle telematics deviceinitiates the File Transfer service, it can use the Hypertext TransferProtocol (HTTP) to effect the transfer. Radio access interface processescan include converting the HTTP request to a File Service Request to besent to the mobile communications device and a HTTP response to thevehicle telematics device. Once the mobile communications device obtainsthe requested data, a File Notify message can be sent to the vehicletelematics device. The vehicle telematics device can then send one ormore Data Request messages to the mobile communications device until therequested data is transferred using the File Transfer service. Once theFile Transfer service is complete, the transferred data can be convertedto the appropriate HTTP response in order to fulfill the original HTTPrequest. In this way, radio access interfaces can be utilized to executedata transfers via HTTP.

Turning now to FIG. 5C, a sequence diagram conceptually illustrating theFile Transfer service is shown. The sequence 520 includes steps 5C1-5C8.At step 5C1, a Data Notify message is set from a mobile communicationsdevice to a vehicle telematics device with its CR bit set to 1. At step5C2, an Ack message is sent from the vehicle telematics device to themobile communications device with its CR bit set to 0. At step 5C3, aData Request message is sent from the vehicle telematics device with anoffset of 0 and its CR bit set to 1. At step 5C4, a Data message is sentfrom the mobile communications device with its CR bit set to 0 and anoffset of 0. At step 5C5, a Data Request message is sent from thevehicle telematics device with an offset of the previous offset plus thesize of the data received in step 5C4 and its CR bit set to 1. At step5C6, a Data message is sent from the mobile communications device withits CR bit set to 0 and the offset calculate in step 5C5. This processrepeats until at step 5C7, a Data Request message is sent from thevehicle telematics device with an offset calculated as the total sum ofthe data received in the preceding Data messages and a CR bit set to 1.At step 5C8, a Data message is sent from the mobile communicationsdevice with its CR bit set to 0 and offset set at the value calculatedin step 5C7. With the data transferred, the sequence completes.

A SMS service is also provided via radio access interface processes. Inmany embodiments, a vehicle telematics device sends a SMS ServiceRequest message when communication is established with a mobilecommunications device. The mobile communications device can store SMSdata until a request is made by the vehicle telematics device. In anumber of embodiments, SMS data includes a serial number. In severalembodiments, the message serial number received by the vehicletelematics device in the SMS Notify message will sent back in the Ack toconfirm delivery of a particular SMS message.

Turning to FIG. 5D, a sequence diagram conceptually illustrating thetransfer of SMS data via radio access interfaces processes is shown. Thesequence 530 includes steps 5D1 and 5D2. At step 5D1, a Data Notifymessage is sent from the mobile communications device to the vehicletelematics device with the SMS data, the serial number of the SMSmessage, and its CR bit set to 1. At step 5D2, an Ack message is sentfrom the vehicle telematics device to the mobile communications device;the Ack message includes the serial number from step 5D1 and its CR bitis set to 0. With the SMS data transferred, the sequence completes.

Radio access interface processes also include providing Serial Streamservices. In many embodiments, a Serial Stream service provided viaradio access interface processes is mapped to a physical serialinterface in the vehicle telematics device. In this way, the SerialStream service can be utilized to transmit data directly from the serialinterface. In a number of embodiments, one or more Serial Streamservices are established when the vehicle telematics device establishescommunications with the mobile communications device. In a variety ofembodiments, the sequence 530 described herein can be utilized forSerial Stream services. In many embodiments, the serial number field isnot utilized for the transfer of data in Serial Stream services.However, it should be noted that identification data can be utilized inSerial Stream services as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention.

Turning now to FIG. 5E, a sequence diagram conceptually illustrating thesetup of a service provided by a radio access interface is shown. Thesequence 540 includes steps 5E1-5E4. At step 5E1, a Service StatusRequest message is sent from the vehicle telematics device to the mobilecommunications device with its CR bit set to 1. At step 5E2, a ServiceStatus Response message is sent from the mobile communications device tothe vehicle telematics device with its CR bit set to 0. At step 5E3, aService Request message is sent from the vehicle telematics device witha CR bit set to 1. At step 5E4, an Ack message is sent from the mobilecommunications device with a CR bit set to 0. With the data transferred,the sequence completes.

Specific processes for communicating data for a variety of servicesprovided by radio access interfaces are described with respect to FIGS.5A-E. However, these illustrations are examples. It should beappreciated that any number of processes, including those that usealternative techniques for asynchronous and/or parallel transmission ofdata and those that originate communications from the receiving devicedescribed herein, can be utilized as appropriate to the requirements ofa specific application in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

Although the embodiments have been described in certain specificaspects, many additional modifications and variations would be apparentto those skilled in the art. In particular, any of the various processesdescribed herein can be performed in alternative sequences and/or inparallel (on the same or on different computing devices) in order toachieve similar results in a manner that is more appropriate to therequirements of a specific application. It is therefore to be understoodthat embodiments can be practiced otherwise than specifically describedwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the embodiments. Thus,the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative andnot restrictive. It will be evident to the person skilled in the art tofreely combine several or all of the embodiments discussed here asdeemed suitable for a specific application of the invention. Throughoutthis disclosure, terms like “advantageous”, “exemplary” or “preferred”indicate elements or dimensions which are particularly suitable (but notessential) to the invention or an embodiment thereof, and may bemodified wherever deemed suitable by the skilled person, except whereexpressly required. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should bedetermined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle telematics device, comprising: aprocessor; a communications interface coupled to the processor; and amemory connected to the processor; wherein, in response to one or moreinstructions stored in the memory, the vehicle telematics device:communicates with a mobile communications device using thecommunications interface; wherein the mobile communications device is incommunication with a remote server system via a wireless networkconnection provides data to the mobile communications device to generateprovided data, wherein the provided data is to be transmitted to theremote server system; provides command data to the mobile communicationsdevice, where different types of command data are provided for differenttypes of communication protocols and where the command data instructsthe mobile communication device to: process the provided data togenerate formatted data based on the command data and the type ofcommunication protocol; transmit the formatted data to the remote serversystems using at least one communication protocol from a plurality ofcommunication protocols based on the command data.
 2. The vehicletelematics device of claim 1, wherein the mobile communications devicecomprises a smart phone.
 3. The vehicle telematics device of claim 2,wherein: the smart phone comprises an application executing within anoperating system installed on the smart phone; the application providesaccess to a file system provided by the operating system; and theapplication provides access to cellular data services via the operatingsystem.
 4. The vehicle telematics device of claim 1, wherein the mobilecommunications device is integrated into a vehicle.
 5. The vehicletelematics device of claim 4, wherein: the mobile communications deviceis accessible via a vehicle data bus installed in the vehicle; thevehicle telematics device is connected to a diagnostic port within thevehicle, where the diagnostic port provides access to the vehicle databus; and the vehicle telematics device communicates with the mobilecommunications device using the vehicle data bus.
 6. The vehicletelematics device of claim 1, wherein the communications interfacecomprises a Bluetooth radio.
 7. The vehicle telematics device of claim1, wherein the communications interface comprises a wired connection. 8.The vehicle telematics device of claim 1, wherein the communicationsinterface comprises a wireless network device.
 9. The vehicle telematicsdevice of claim 1, wherein the command data further comprises metadatadescribing when the mobile communications device is to transmit the datato the remote server system.
 10. The vehicle telematics device of claim1, wherein the at least one communication protocol is selected from thegroup consisting of a IP/User Datagram Protocol (UDP), a IP/TransmissionControl Protocol (TCP), a Short Messaging Service (SMS), a file transferprotocol, and a serial data stream protocol.
 11. The vehicle telematicsdevice of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication protocol is aUDP protocol, wherein the vehicle telematics device manages a UDPtransmit buffer to avoid UDP datagram collisions and allows the use ofAck messages to control the flow of data between the vehicle telematicsdevice and the mobile communications device.
 12. The vehicle telematicsdevice of claim 11, further comprising the vehicle telematics devicedetecting an error condition during a transfer of a UDP datagram anddiscarding the UDP datagram.
 13. The vehicle telematics device of claim1, wherein the at least one communication protocol is a TCP protocol,wherein the vehicle telematics device detects an error condition basedon a message from the mobile communications device and provides commanddata to the mobile communication device to close its TCP service. 14.The vehicle telematics device of claim 1, wherein the at least onecommunication protocol is a file transfer protocol, wherein thecommunication interface converts an HTTP request to a file servicerequest for sending to the mobile communications device and a HTTPresponse to the vehicle telematics device.
 15. The vehicle telematicsdevice of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication protocol is anSMS protocol, wherein the vehicle telematics device sends a SMS servicerequest message when communication is established with the mobilecommunications device.
 16. The vehicle telematics device of claim 15,where SMS data includes a serial number, wherein a serial numberreceived by the vehicle telematics device in an SMS notify message issent back in the Ack message to confirm delivery of a particular SMSmessage.
 17. The vehicle telematics device of claim 1, wherein the atleast one communication protocol is a serial stream protocol, whereinthe vehicle telematics device maps a serial stream service provided viathe communications interface to a physical serial interface.
 18. Thevehicle telematics device of claim 17, wherein the serial streamprotocol is used to transmit data directly from a serial interface.